Method of treating gases.



P. G. SCHMIDT. METHOD OF TREATING GASES. APPLICATION FILED D110. 10, 1909.

1,026,227. Patented May 14, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SJIBBT 1.

anucnlou 1 wvunum izfii fW Mw P. G. SCHMIDT. METHOD OF TREATING GASES. APPLICATION FILED DBO.10, 1909.

Patnted May 14, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

P. G. SCHMIDT. METHOD OF TREATING GASES. uruonxon FILED DEO.10, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1,026,227. Patented May 14, 1912.

attounlp P. G. SCHMIDT. METHOD OF TREATING GASES.

APPLICATION FILED DE(J.10 1909A Patented May 14, 1912.

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METHOD OF TREATING GASES. APPLICATION TILED nno. 1o, 1900.

1,026,227. 'PatentedMay1 4,1912.

5 BHEBTB, SHEET 5.

atmmqo STATES PATENT OFFICE.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, PETER G. SGHMIDT, a

citizen'of the United States, residing at Olympia, in the county of Thurston and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Method of Treating Gases, of which the? following is a specification.

This inventionhas reference to "improvements in the method of treating gases especially for the washing or. cleansing of the same, and itsobjec't is to provide for the elimination from the gas of absorbed or entrained impurities such as-dust, tar, vapors, volatile matters, or any other matters of mechanical or chemical nature.

In accordance with the present improved method of treating gases, and by the term gas it is intended .to include air, the gas is thoroughly broken up or subdivided in thepresence of a very finely divided liquid spra'y, mist, or cloud, preferably of water, the resultant compound of water and impurities being a mixture or emulsion of particular intimacy.

In one form ofhthe invention the gas treating fluid, which for the convenience of description will be hereinafter considered as water, is subjected to the action of a high speed rotor with which the water is caused to whirl at great linear velocity and at the same time is very highly subdivided so as to take the form of a fine mist or cloud and this mist or,cloud is driven outwardly by centrifugal force, the form of the rotor and.

its great speed contributing to the high subdivision and lineal s eed of the cloud or mist of water.. It is int-o such rapidly whirling and highly-"agitated cloud or mist that the gas is directed and is also beaten and whirled by the rotor until the gas itself becomes'lnghly divided and is brought intoi intimate contact 'with the cleansing flui Because of the high subdivision of the particles of water they present a greatly extended absorption surface and since the gas itself is also highly divided and thoroughly intermixed with the mist or vapor,-it is mostthoroughly subjected to the action of the cleansing fluid and is rapidly freed from the absorbed or entrained impurities. The separated impurities are carried by the watery cleansing mist or .clo'ud to the inner walls of an inclosing chamber for the rotor to be conducted thereby to a Specification of Letters Patent. I

Original applications filed September 10, 1909, Serial Nos. 517,065 and 517,068. Divided filed December 10, 1909. Serial No. 582,474.

PETER e. scnm n'r, or OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON.

Patented May 14, 1912. and this application and impurities carried thereby being driven by centrifugal forceto the lnner walls of the inclosing casing. I In carrying out the invention the gas to be cleansed or purified may be directed through the rotor in a direct1on opposed to centrifugal force and to the general direction of movement of the cleansing fluid, and then be directed with the cle'anslng fluid in the same course as the latter travels under the action of centrifugal force.

Instead of first directing the gasto be treated against the action of centrifugal force, it may first move in the same direcsuitable point of disposal, the watery mist I tion as the cleansing fluid under the action of centrifugalforce and then its direction may be changedsothat the gas travels in opposition to the movement of the cleansing fluid under the action of centrifugal force. 01', the gas may move with the cleansing .fluid in the same direction under the action of centrifugal force and the reverse move ment of the gas may be omitted.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with y .treatlng structure capable of treating the gas when first moving against the action of centrifugal force and then with it. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 and illustrating another form of apparatus capable'of being utilized for the practice of the invention. Fig. 5 is a section similar tothat of Fig. 1 but showing an apparatus wherein the gas must first move in the same and then in opposition thereto. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig-7 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus through which the gas flows only in the same direction as the action -'of centrifugal force.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 there is shown a gas washer capable of beingused in the practice of the present invention where the gas is first directed against the action of centrifudirection as theaction of centrifu al force tion as the action 'of'such force.

structure shown in these-figures there is provided a main casing 10 of generally cylin drical form and preferably made in two sections connected by bolting flanges .13 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. At the bottom of the casing is an inlet port 11 through which the gas passes into the Washer and a discharge port gas passes oil to a gas engine or a gasometer or other means of utilization or storage. The opposite walls of the casing .are provided with bushings 15'that form bearings for a shaft 16 provided atone end with a belt pulley 17 or some equivalent means. The shaft is bored out at one end in order to form a water passage 18 from which lead spraying ports 19 for water employed for washing purposes, such water being forced in the form of a number of jets or sprays partments,

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which are thrown. outward under considerable pressure and strike against the gas within'the casing; The water is supplied from .a pipe 20, one end of which fits within the hollow shaft which is there rovided with a suitable stuffing box or gland as indicated at 21.. The shaft carries a rotor in the form of a'beater or agitator comprising a pair of end disksf22 and 23 and an intermediate ring or annulus 24 which serves in connection with a partition wall 25 to divide the interior of the easing into two main comone of which at the inlet side communicates with 'the inlet port llwhile the other communicates with the discharge port 12. The end disks 22 and 23 are rigidly secured to collars 26 on the shaft 16 and are held in properly assembled and spaced relation by tie bolts 28 and filling .or spac ing tubes 29. 'Arranged in the inlet com-.

partment-and supported in position in the rotor is a series of concentric cylindrical screens 30,-which may be formed of wire netting or perforated metal, the inner one being-of greater diameter than the opening ofthe ring 24 and held in place by a pair of supporting rings 31 and are secured to the disk 22 and ring-24.. The position ofthese screens is such that all the gas entering the washer is compelled to pass through the screen before it can escape through the discharge port-12 and in passing through the screen the gas will be practically wire drawn or superdivided and while in this; condition will be subjected to the action of the washing fluid whichisreduced to the condition of a mist orcloudpby the impact of the screensthereon, these screens being rotated at high speed. The disk 22 and the ring-24' serve as supports for a circular series o'fperforated blades 33 arranged near the periphof the rotor and which operate tobreak up the gas and wire draw it through the perforations for the p'ur'pose'of separating 12 through which the cleansed mechanical impurities therefrom, the blades further operating to carry the gas around within the casingso that the same may be subjected to'the action of centrifugal force, which will tend-to direct the heavier matters held in suspension, or any heavy vapors to, the wall of the casing and the periphery of the rotor, while any relatively light purified and washed gases-will naturally accumulate at the center of the rotor. As the entering gas passes through the screens 30 and then through the opening at the center of the ring 24 it is directed to the second compartment where it is acted on by a plurality of blades 35 that exercise a direct pull on the gas and tends to carry the same outward toward the periphery of the rotor, the gas being forced outwardly through' the discharge port 12 in much the same manner as the escape of air from a blower.

It will beobserved that in the operation of the washer shown in'Figs. 1, 2 and 3)- a number of principles involving various classes of cleaning, scrubbing and purifying apparatus are combined in a single structure, and in operation various impurities, in dry, liquid, semi-liquid and vapo-rous forms, are separated from the gas, these impurities passing downward through a discharge pipe or pipes 38 into a collecting tank, shown at 39 in Fig. 4, or into any other receptacle below the main casing, or the pipe orpipes 38 may be otherwise arranged for the disk posal of the separated impurities. The dry impurities generally consist of dust, lampblack, metallic'and ash particles; the liquid impurities of moisture and various compoundsfthe semi-liquid impurities of oils,

tars, tarry matters and various viscous h vdro-carbons and the vaporous impurities of aqueous vapor, viscous vapor or fogs, and

inert or uncombined gases, such as carbon dioxid.

The gas entering the washer is cooled by the spray of water and this effects a change of vapor tension, and, also, change of volume. the reduction in temperaturenaturally causing condensation 'and a deposition of any heavy matters which are held in suspension. The change in volume is in part due to the change in temperature and 111" ther to the mechanical action of the rotor, resulting also in difierence in pressure at different points within the casing. This change in pressure with the consequent variation in volumeten-ds to press out excess moisture and cause the same to precipltate. Afurther and amportant action is that due to the centrifu al force. As the gas'is carried around. bythe roto-r,,the heavy impurities will naturally be thrown outward to the wall of the casing, owing to their greater specific gravity, while clarified gases or \'apors, relatively lighter than the unpurified gas itself will accumulate at the center, thus I mamas?- ,gation is made to take place through the opposition of centrifugal force to suctionl This emphasizes, increases and intensifies the action of separation, the heavier impurities being thrown to the outside or'periphery of the blades of the first section or stage; the lighter gases occupying the interior of the zone thus formed, which zone formation is intensified by the suction effort of the secnd stage or fan in opposition to the centrifugal action, the fan removing from the low pressure zone the gas thus segregated.

I Another important factor is the reversal of to traverse this violently agitated mist and direction of the flow of gas. Any gas whose direction of flow is reversed or diverted tends to deposit saturation, entrainment, and impurities, this action being partly centrifugal and partly static in its nature. There is also the wire drawing action to be considered. All of the gas must pass through the reticulated screens and thus be mechanically strained and filtered, and at the same.

time by the action of the rapidly revolving rotor a violent whirlingmotion is given to the gas. While in this broken or divided condition the gas is subjected to the action of the jets of Water which aretraveling in a direction opposite to that in which the small streams of impure gas are moving.

The rotor is driven at a very high speed and the water spray on passing through the screens is beaten thereby into an exceedingly fine spray like a mist or cloud. At the same time this watery mist is given a whirling motion which causes it to move to the walls of the casing underthe action of centrifugal force. The incoming impure gas is forced is itself whirled about by the rotor, and thus the .water is caused to present an extensive absorption surface because of its superdivision, and the intimate mixture therewith of the fine streamsof gas causes-the latter to be cleansed of nearly or quite all of the impurities. The cleansed gas is now in the Interior of the rotor and because of the pulling or impelling action of the blades 35 flows vthroiigli the annulus 24 into the second chamber carrying more OPICSS moisture with it. The 'finely divided water passing'out The cleansed gas passing to the second chamthrough the screens in the first compartment of the rotor, carries the absorbed gas impurities with it and strikes and clings, to the walls-of the casing, the fine water particles coalescing and forming into drops and streams and gravitating to the inlet 11 where they may escape into the gas containing vessel on which the gas washer is mounted.

her or compartment in the rotor, is driven by the impclling blades 35 to the periphery of the casing and finally through the outlet port or passage 12. In this second compartment the gas is given awhirling movement by the blades 35 and impurities and moisture, if present, are driven by centrifu al force to the inner wall of the casing finadly to ravitate into the pipe 38.,

wing to the peculiar intimacy of intermixture of the various elements of which some gases are composed, and which are carried into the washer, there has been heretofore considerable diflicult-y in the production of a pure gas, but by subjecting it to the various actlons and forces herein described it will be broken up and washed and purified in such manner as to separate not only the mechanical impurities and excess moisture but also. chemical impurities such as ammonia, carbon. dioxid, sulfur and other compounds which may be detrimental to the efficient use of the gas.

In the construction shown in F 4 the operation is much the same as that heretofore described though the specific construction of the washer is somewhat modified. The central ring 24 is provided with a central hub and radial supporting arms and a suitable number of screens are used. These screens are disposed in concentric relation to both the inlet and discharge compartments of the drum or rotor and the blades are radial. The hub portions of the end disks of the drum T01 rotor are recessed as indicated at and at the margin of each recess there is an inwardly extending flange 41 forming a circular liquid holding channel to which liquid is delivered by supply pipes 42.

The treating liquid is driven, by centrifugal force through a number of spray openings 43 and is directed against the gas in the interior of the drum.

In the structure of Fig. '4 the action of the device .so far as the'first compartment is concerned is the same as in the structure shown in Fig. 1 except that the blades 33 are not present, the gas passing to the interior of the rotor through screens 30, and the whirling mist of washing fluid against the action of centrifugal force. In the sec 0nd compartment this action is reversed and the gas passes in the samedirection as the washin fluid, both moving under the 'action 0 centrifugal force and bot-h being violentl super-dlvided state and thoroughlymixed.

whirled about and beaten to a In the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the passage of the gas through the machine i the contrary'of thatof the structures of .Figs. 1 and 4.

In these figures there is shown a main casing 44 preferably of two parts bolted together like the structure of Fig. 1. At the upper portion of the casing are two" ports 45, 46 extending down to the central part of opposite ends of the casing and these ports are provided with cylindrical flanges 47 that'extend inward within.

the casing for a short distance in order'properly to "guide the course of the gas, the latter entering through the port 45 and being dis charged through.the port 46 or vice versa.

The opposite side walls'of the casing are provided wit-h bushings 48 forming bearings for a shaft 49 whichis provided at one end with a belt pulley 50 or other similar means for supplying power to the shaft. The shaft carries a rotary beater or agitator com I-1S ing end rings 51, 52 supported eachy a central hub 53 and arms54. At the center of the drum is a partition disk or web 55 rigidly secured to thesha-ft and dividing the drum or rotor into I two compartments; One of these compartments communicates at its cen-- tral portion with the inlet port 45 while the other compartment communicates at its central portion with the discharge port 46, and it may be noted that the internal dlameter of the rings 51 and 52 is equal to the internal diameter of the flanges 47 so that the gas 51 and 52 and the central Web or disk 55.

may freely flow into and from the eyes of the drum. Near the peripheries the rings are formed with matching recesses for the reception of the ends of b ades 56 arranged in circular series and which act asbeaters or agitators andtalso serve to carry around the gas with them so as to cause the action of centrifugal force upon'the gas. The adj acent faces of the rings and drum areprovided with a plurality of annular matching grooves for'the reception of a series of concentric screens 57, there'being. one setof screens in the inlet compartment and asimilar set of screens-in the discharge compartment, and the gaspasses through these screens in the. order named. The'diameter of the drum is sufliciently less than the internal diameter of the casing to form an annular space in which the gas and impurities may accumulate while. the impurities reaching and adhering to the inner wall of the casing may flow down the same and be directed through one or more discharge pipes 58 into a. collecting tank- 59, those impurities being drawn off at any time or and'will pass through the screens 57 with the watery spray entering through the pipes '60 in the direction of the action ofcentrifugal tending to cause the separation of impurities from the gas and the accumulation ofv the same andthe watery mist together with the vapor'on the walls of the casing, whence the water and impurities will flow down to the pipe or pipes 58 and into the receptacle 59 or to other points of disposal. Thegas now passes into the second compartment entering" the same by way of the spaces between the blades 56 and through the screens 57 in a direction opposed to the action of centrifugal force and through a whirling and highly agitated mist or cloud of watery vapor moving in the opposite direction to the flow of the gas. The cleansing of the gas takes-place wholly or in the mam as the gas is passing from the central inlet of the first compartment to the space surrounding the rotor. and therefore a markedly clean gas results. iOn passing to the interior of the second compartment of the rotor from the space exterior thereto the gas must traverse the highly attenuated watery mist in great agitation and violently whirling. The retardation of the flow -of exit side of the rotor results in the establishment of a gas pressure in the chamber about the rotor thus still further facilitating the deposition of any impurities in the gas.

Although the first treatment to which the gas is subjected cleanses the same very thoroughly, there may still be some impurities remaining in the gas and the second treatment against the action of centrifugal force causes the removal from the gas of impurities which still may be carried thereby and the I escaping gas is practically free from deleterious impurities as demonstrated.

gas toward the Causing the gas to traverse the screens against the action of centrifugal force also 'tends to dry the gas even though the watery spray must also be traversed.

In the structure of Fig. 7 there is a casing 61 having one side 62 removable,-and this side is formed with a'central eye 63 traversed by spokes or radial arms 64 supporting a bearing 65 for one end of a shaft 66 on which is mounted a rotor comprising a hub 67 from which there extends in a general radial direction a webor disk 68 havmgon its inner face near the periphery a series ofconcentric grooves each receiving one end of a corresponding one ofv a concenv tric series of cylindrical screens 69. In-

terior to the screens the hub 66 is formed with elongated spacing studs 70 having secured at their free ends an annular plate 71 grooved to receive and hold the other edges of the screens 69. The annular plate 71 has its interior diameter the same as that of the eye 63-of the side 62 of the casing. In the 40 to traverse said mass in. wire drawn constructure just described the gas enters through the eye 63 and out to the screen 69 to the space between the outer screen and the inner wall of the casing and from this space the gas passes directly to an out- .let port. Water is introduced tothe eye of the rotor by suitable spraying pipes 60 as in the structures of Figs. and 6.

. thence passes lization or storage without being subjected to a second treatment as in the structure of Fig. 5.

This application is a division of other applications Numbers" 517,065, and 517,066,

filed by me on September 10, 1909, for improvements in gas washers] What isclaimed is: 1. The method of treating gas which con- I sists incausing the movement-of the gas in wire drawn condition through a whirling mist or cloud of a treating fluid in a direction contrary to the action of centrifugal force on said treating fluid.

12. The method of treating gas which cons ists incausin a whirling movement of the gasin wire drawn condition and a whirling mass of treating fluid in intimate relation, the treating fluid moving under the action of centrifugal force and the gas movin a direction contrary to centrifugalorce.

- 3. The method of treating gas which consists in roducing a whirling mass of treating flui in the form of amist or cloud yieldable to the action of centrifugalforce generated by the rotative movement of the said mass, and causing the gas being treated dition and in a direction opposed to' the action of centrifugal force.

4. The method of treating gas which con sists in producing a whirling mass of treatin fluid in the form of a mist or cloud yieldab e to the action of centrifugal force generated by the rotative movement of said mass andwvire drawing the ing 1t to traverse said mass 'm a direction gas and caus-.

opposed' to the action of centrifugal force.

and at the same time imparting a whirling movement to and subdividin the gas in intimate relation to the treating fluid.

5. The method of treating gas which consists in causing a movement of the gas in wire drawn condition through a whirling mist or cloud of treating fluid in a direction contrary to the action of centrifugal force on the said treating fluid, and then directing the gas into another path and there subjecting it to rotative or whirling movement and the action of centrifugal force.

6. The method of treating gas which consists in producing a whirling mass of highly subdivided, treating fluid and causing the gas being treated to traverse said mass in a wire drawn condition and a direction opposed to entrifugal force, the intermingled mass of as and cleansing fluid being subject" to the centrifugal force generated by their rotative movement.

7. The method of treatin gas which consists in causing the gas an a treating fluid intimately to intermix by wire drawing them while moving at high speed, and sub ecting the mass while being thus intermixed to the action of centrifugal force due to the rotary motion im arted thereto.

8. A method 0 treating gas to cleanse it of impurities, whichconsists in drawing the gas by suction centriptally through centrifugall moving sprays, whereby to intensify t e concentric stratifications of the gas and its impurities, the heavy impurities being thrown into the ,outer concentric.

stratas and the cleansed gas being drawn to the center.

9. A method of cleansing gas which consists in screening the gas and drawing it centripetally by suction through centrifugally moving radiatin sprays.

In testimon that, claim the foregoing as my own, I ave hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PETER G. SCHMIDT.

Witnesses I E. F.. Fos'rEn, A. J. (JOLLY. 

